In a preview from Thursday’s episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Leah Shirley– daughter of Amber Portwood and ex Gary Shirley– opens up to Catelynn Lowell about her complicated relationship with Amber, revealing that she’s “done” with Amber’s lack of consistency and Amber’s habit of blaming Gary for their estrangement.
In the clip, Leah confirms to Cate and Maci Bookout that she hasn’t seen Amber in about nine months and that, aside from reaching out once after finding out that Leah had been diagnosed with asthma, Amber hasn’t attempted to make contact with the 16-year-old. While Cate tells Leah that she and Maci are friends with Amber, she also acknowledges Amber’s shortcomings as a parent.
“Me and Maci have told her if she wanted to ever have a relationship with you that she needed to start showing consistency,” Cate says, to which Leah replies, “I’m just, like, done.”
Leah goes on to explain that it’s “too much” on her to have Amber coming into her life sporadically, only to act like “everything’s perfect.”
“She tells me that she loves me and hugs me and stuff and I can’t do that,” Leah explains. “ … It’s fake. Like, you don’t text me, you don’t see me, and then when you do see me– for purposes of there being a camera in your face– you try to act like you’re the best mom ever.”
Leah says that, while she doesn’t “hate” Amber and understands that she “has her own issues,” she “just can’t handle it myself.”
Leah also clarifies that while Amber may claim that Gary is to blame for the status of their relationship, that isn’t the case at all.
“ … I think that she thinks it’s my dad’s fault, so I kind of want to clear that up because it’s not fair for her to blame my dad for something that I want,” Leah says.
Leah notes that her dad has always pushed for her to have a relationship with Amber, even encouraging her to invite her mom to celebrate her birthday a few years back, which Amber “didn’t bother” to attend. When asked if Amber being a no-show to her party hurt her feelings, Leah tells Cate it didn’t, as she’s used to this sort of behavior from Amber.
While discussing the topic of complicated mother-daughter relationships, Cate tells Leah that it took her well into adulthood to get to a place where she finally enforced boundaries with her mom, April Baltierra, and she commends Leah for being able to do that with Amber at such a young age.
“ … to see you, at your age, making those boundaries to protect your own mental health and your peace, that’s huge,” Cate says.
As Cate continues discussing her situation with April, she confesses to Leah that she doesn’t think the relationship between her and April will “ever be normal.”
“That’s how I feel, too,” Leah says of her relationship with Amber.
Cate goes on to point out that Leah is “doing hard work”– even if she doesn’t realize it– and tells the teen she’s proud of her.
As The Ashley previously told you, Amber flipped off Cate and Maci on TikTok Live back in March after a fan in the chat pointed out that Cate and Maci have always stuck by Amber’s side, unlike some of her other ‘Teen Mom’ co-stars. While Amber later apologized for issuing the double-bird insult to her two ‘Teen Mom’ pals, Cate revealed at the time that Amber would have even more to be upset about as this season of ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter’ continued, presumably referring to the conversation set to air during Thursday’s episode.
“Woahhh lol 😂 well I guess she’s gonna be big mad when she sees what me and Maci said to Leah later this season,” Cate commented. “Truth will always be truth and facts are facts!”
In the comment section of the post to the ‘Teen Mom’ Instagram account, several of Amber’s co-stars had something to say about what they just watched.
“So proud of Leah & thank the Lord she has Gary and Kristina,” wrote Jade Cline (who has been outspoken in her criticism of Amber in the past.) ” They are always there for her and I just love seeing the support they give to her.”
“Leahhhh❤️❤️❤️❤️,” wrote Briana DeJesus.
New episodes of ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter’ air Thursdays on MTV.
Watch Leah and Cate’s full conversation below.
(Photos: MTV; Instagram)
37 Responses
Ok, Amber is a horrible mom, we all see it but what is Gary’s job? All of the dads are on the mtv dole. Nice examples. Time to turn off mom’s cameras and if the kids want to film after 18 pay them directly.
I wonder if Cate and Ty can see that they are doing exactly what Amber is doing. They are bad mouthing Carly’s parents every chance they get until they hear if it is Carley’s decision to not see them. Don’t put that on a child. Gary has taken a hit to protect his daughter. Brandon and Teresa are probably doing the same thing.
I think everyone can agree that the parents have their faults, some obviously more than others but we do need to stop pretending other parents don’t as well. However, for me it’s the disgusting comments being made body shaming and picking apart their appearances, that is some Farrah and amber level lows, how perfect those commenters must be 🙄
Is Cait wearing a bedspread or a sofa cover? Did someone tell her the stripes were slimming?
They lied.
I can’t get over how UGLY & huge Cate has become. She just looks like a fat slob who has no motivation to do anything in life. Tyler has just turned into some creep who is in everyone’s business & always has to take over the conversation like bro shut up let someone else talk we don’t want to hear you complain about Carly’s parents over & over.
It’s funny the shows producer didn’t acknowledge Amber instead she said Gary & Leah for the photo shoot. Guess what Amber manifesting & crystal rocks don’t actually work so your going to have to peel yourself off that couch you love so much if you actually want a functioning relationship with your daughter.
Leah is a beautiful, classy, intelligent young g lady, and I’m so proud of her!!
For real, she is better than having to talk about her life with Catelyn. I hope Gary gives the cash from this episode directly to Leah to make up for having to sit down and have that conversation.
These two don’t care about Leah. They just want to get airtime and publicity and will use any means necessary to get it.
When Bentley and Leah are forced to be at the center of this bs, it’s time to pull the plug. Chelsea/Cole and Brandon/Theresa were smart to try to distance their kids from this clown show as much as possible. The push to have Aubree’s personal life be at the center was why Chelsea left. These kids didn’t ask for this.
Gary and Kristina need to get off of this show for Leah’s sake. I know the money was/is good, but it’s not worth the price.
That would be the smart thing for Gary to do but Gary doesn’t have any work ethic or skills to support his family. I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes the entire houses paychecks for MTV in order for him to stay in that house.
Gary is a landlord and has several houses. I believe it was 8 when Amber was with Matt. Kristine is in nursing school.
Honestly Leah is more mature than I was in my 20’s. Gary is a good dad and we all know who the problem is. Enough said
When everyone else’s story is so boring this season that they need to exploit Leah by having her talk to all of the adults about Amber……it’s truly time to cancel the show.
Agreed! They are exploiting this young girl. It’s sad to see the awkwardness is making her talk to Catelynn, Maci, Cheyenne ( in another episode) about Amber. It’s hard enough at her age to express yourself to family and even friends, let alone people you see every once in awhile with cameras in your face.
this is exactly why i’m ok if we don’t see the shirley family on the show anymore, leah’s still in high school yet she has to continuously talk about her strained relationship with her immature mom and that’s the only thing we know about her
Leah is so beautiful.
Is anyone else grossed out by these adults having overline conversations on camera with these children. Look, I know that Bentley and Leah are 16 now, but at the end of the day they are still children.
I don’t get why production is pushing the other cast members to ask lead questions, push conversations that probably shouldn’t be happening on camera, or should at least have their parent involved in. It just seems so gross, not happy with the way. This is working. The show just needs to end honestly.
Because this a job they get paid handsomely for, this is the money that pays for these kids schooling, activities, homes, cars, gas and will pay for their colleges, dont get it twisted these kids have had lives they would never have had only for MTV!!
The kids didn’t sign up for this. It’s not their fault that their parents were deadbeat teenage parents
Money doesn’t make it any less gross. It’s incredibly shallow to think kids should have to endure being exploited because in return they will get paid handsomely.
Lol.
I didn’t know being financially compensated excuses poor behavior. Think about what you are saying, that It is acceptable to do unhealthy things as along as the money is good.
The kids and parents would still get paid without these stories lines, the show is boring as sh*t regardless. Instead of these awkward scenes just have the parents talk about issues without the kids being the ones to ask, or have kids talk together.
The kids also; can’t have semi-normal lives, can’t go anywhere without being recognized, have to watch everything they do and say anywhere and everywhere they go, get treated completely differently than most of their peers…..and let’s not forget the most IMPORTANT part, can’t legally consent to any of this but have it foisted upon them by others with no way to opt out.
How about you don’t get it twisted and realize this sort of limelight lifestyle is far more damaging than it will ever be beneficial and there are literally studies to prove it. Laws have been put in place (sadly not everywhere) to protect children who appear on tv BECAUSE of all the issues they face (and not just from a financial point of view). FFS man. The benefits nearly never outweigh the negatives, especially over time. Often times kids who grow up in the limelight end up being not so well adjusted adults, lacking a whole lot of life experience and with social awareness skills being nearly non-existent. It’s not their fault, it’s literally how they were raised, but then thy get thrown into the deep end of life without so much as water wings.
I am willing to bet at least some of these kids, not just TM kids, but kids who have been on tv-or in the limelight at all- regularly in general, would much rather be able to go to school events, birthday parties, parties in general and have a more normal-ish (subjective, I know) life, especially as teens. Even kids who are easily locally recognized struggle with these issues.
Agreed!
This reminded me of CA house hunting scenes of Farrah and Sophia, ala Farrah throws a book at Sophia tells her to read it after she fired the on set teacher and Sophia says, “I want to cancel the teacher. There is no point of the teacher.” The irony was not lost that, 9 year old Sophia was still barely able to speak a sentence in her weird baby voice.
Sophia had to have an “on set teacher” because she was on film and CA law requires 3 hours/day of schooling. Now, I can understand why that might upset Farrah because the tutor really wasn’t doing anything with Sophia because Sophia was in school at the time, I think, and it was just more a compliance issue/CYA.
CA has really strict laws about what kids can and can’t do, etc. But TN where Maci lives has no laws about children and film industry, MI (C&T) has limited laws like you have to fill out a form, but not much else. IN (Gary) has better laws, but they all go out the window at 16, which is why we are seeing the kids more now, they are 16, and in a lot of these state 16 is somehow at 16, they throw out child labor laws for the entertainment industry.
At the end of the day, it’s like an 18 year old dating a 40 year old, even if it’s legal, doesn’t make it any less gross, dangerous, and unhealthy. Financially benefiting doesn’t absolve all the negatives of it.
It makes sense states like CA have labor laws for kids. That goes back to some kid actors in the 1930s where the parents took all the money the kids made. I thought it makes sense that TN would not have such laws but then there is Nashville which is a big entertainment hub.
We’re finally to the point that the “babies” can tell us how they feel about their parents. I’m proud of Leah for being such a mature and well-spoken young lady. Gary and Kristina have done a fantastic job raising her.
Obviously this is a producer prompted conversation. But I will give props to Cate having the stones to call Amber out for her behavior, and attempting to level a bit with Leah. Their childhood situations are pretty similar.
Maci’s complete silence speaks volumes here though. Disappointing (if that’s not editing.)
The big difference is Leah is being authentic about her feelings, and Cate is just playing along, trying to look like a decent person, when she is pretty much of a liar. Yes, she calls Amber out on her behavior, but really, what right does she have to do that when we all see Cate all over the place giving nasty interviews about Carly’s parents and trying to say how she and her idiot husband were practically “tricked” by adults to give up Carly? Cate exploits anyone and everyone to get her “story” told which is pretty much the same thing that Amber does.
It’s almost funny Catelynn can talk with Leah about establishing boundaries with her mom but yet can’t understand Carly’s parents putting boundaries in place with her and Tyler…
Cue Amber Tik tok live in 3…2…
The time has come for Teen Mom: Last Chapter, The End.
That time came awhile ago. Haha!
If you want it to end why do you even watch it.If you stop watching it will frizzle out and will be dropped
i bet my life amber is laying in bed making that stupid squishy crying face she loves to make when she saw that clip.
also you just know catelynn and maci feel dumb af after high-fiving thinking they helped amber and leah’s relationship when they went out there last year 😂 wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the reason why she told how leah what they told amber
Surprise, surprise. The cow & the drunk want to try and put their bullshit on Leah. ‘When’s the last time you saw your mom’. Bitch you can kindly rephrase to, ‘when’s the last time your mom saw you’. Cate & Maci are totally insufferable.
Maci looked like she couldn’t believe what nonsense she was hearing bc the Amber she knows is a “damn good mom” and an even better human being. She’s almost as amazing as Rhyne and Amanda!
This child must be lying! Amber is the best, and Maci would know, all she knows is the best ppl!
OMG! I love the way you refer to Cate and Maci!!!! Anytime I’ve ever called either of them names, I get slammed in the comments! Good for you! Those two are awful!